Cundall nominated for national award
Posted
Mr Cundall now becomes a national finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards. (ABC News: Angela Ross)
Media gardening personality Peter Cundall has been named Tasmania's Australian of the Year winner for 2009 at a ceremony in Hobart.
The ABC stalwart was presented the award last night by the Premier David Bartlett.
Mr Cundall now becomes a national finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards which will be announced in January.
Other winners were singer and Sheffield resident, Ronnie Burns, who took out the Senior Award; youth motivator, Sam Cawthorn of Launceston, is the state's Young Australian of the Year, and New Norfolk band leader, John Layton Hodgetts, received the Local Hero Award.
Meanwhile, Tasmania's hospitality industry has been recognised for its achievements at a gala dinner in Hobart.
The Premier's Award for Contribution to Community was presented to volunteer small business mentor Martin Modinger, who spent almost 25 years working for Federal Hotels.
The Minister's Award for Contribution to the Industry went to Richard Sattler, owner of the Barnbougle Dunes links course.
Mr Sattler also developed the Old Woolstore Apartment Hotel in Hobart and was a former controlling shareholder of the Inkeepers Group.
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Comments (25)
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Tish:
27 Nov 2008 8:27:15am
Well bloomin' done Pete.
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stephen:
27 Nov 2008 8:42:09am
Blooming unbelievable give Peter's courageous stand against greed and corruption associated with the stinking gunns pulp mill!
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bjh:
27 Nov 2008 10:25:52am
They say the deeper the manure the sweeter the rose and this piece of news is a particularly sweet rose indeed.
But when you consider the amount of news manure we've been wading through recently (GFC, CC, the d and r words)there eventually had to be a blossom or carrot or a peach of a particular gold standard emerge.
Good onya Pete. You're a Bloomin' legend and I hope you end up as our Australian of the Year!
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bjh:
27 Nov 2008 10:58:50am
... and as if to bear out the adage that "bad news travels around the world in the time it take good news to cross the street", this piece of fantastic news gets (now) 4 posts while a political p-ssing contest that achieve nothing but confirming the belief the posters already had, receives more than ten times the responses in the same period of time.
What a gloomy bunch we are becoming and that's why it is all the more important to celebrate the few remaining joyful ones amongst us.
The ones like Pete.
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BloominMarvellous:
27 Nov 2008 11:38:52am
Well said bjh. Lets have more reporting of stories like this and fewer on the economy and politics. It's time to recognise that bean counting and grandstanding are not what drives society.
And well done Pete!!Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Spooky:
27 Nov 2008 11:44:20am
He certainly does deserve this award.
I am far from his target audience. I never garden, and have little interest in it.
Yet every time I saw him on the TV, his sheer enthusiasm was always apparent. That alone made the show worth seeing.
It is very difficult to get your dream job in this world, but I think he may have made it.
Congrats, Pete.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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PB:
27 Nov 2008 10:46:04am
This is a well deserved award for one of our most inspirational and courageous citizens and sends a powerful message to the State Govt that the vast majority of Tasmanians do not want a stinking pulp mill or our old growth and high conservation native forests to be clearfelled for woodchips.
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JC:
27 Nov 2008 10:57:47am
I so look forward to hearing his speech - it should be bloomin marvellous! Wonder what Don Burke thinks?!
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Brad:
27 Nov 2008 10:59:07am
Well done Pete!
And good on ya for sticking up for the environment.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Joanne:
27 Nov 2008 11:13:12am
Great news! he's a wonderful generous man with at fantastic attitude, someone who actually deserves the acollade.
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david:
27 Nov 2008 11:18:26am
Well done Peter.
It's also good to see that the other Tasmanian winners are all from the community and do not have "sporting" backgrounds.
Let's hope that Peter gets awarded Australian of the Year, knocking off all the sporting non-entities who seem to be the main competion.Agree (1) Alert moderator
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Jim Bendfeldt:
27 Nov 2008 11:20:50am
The irony of it all! Gunns latest apologist presenting the Tasmanian of the Year award to one of Gunns greatest antagonists.
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Viola Wilkins:
27 Nov 2008 11:27:41am
Onya Pete ! Decades of encouraging kids and their parents to know how to grow food - locally, organically & sustainably.
This ensures (climate change permitting) food security and skills for real life.
Made Tassie the jewel in the regional crown I reckon.
Pete you rocked the world of ornamental inedibles, water wasters and toxic chemical pushers with kitchen gardening for schools, homes and hopefully sooner than later HOSPITALS too.
(Then when we get ill we can at least get some good tucker to help our recovery)Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Greg:
27 Nov 2008 12:04:31pm
If only our politicians could lead with the same compassion and integrity, I'd be more then happy to accept the blooming lot. Goodonya Pete
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derek409:
27 Nov 2008 12:09:35pm
A truly Inspirational man. His life story is like a best selling novel. (Pete, there's an idea!). A legend is not too far from the truth. I too hope that he is nominated and in fact made, Australian of the Year. Good on Ya, Pete.
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Macy:
27 Nov 2008 12:28:09pm
Great news, well done Pete!
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Liz Qld:
27 Nov 2008 12:41:59pm
Hey Pete, well done and thank for all the things you taught me about the environment and for bringing to life the garden and all its treasures. I certainly hope they make it your 'bloomin lot' with this award well deserved - best wishes Liz.
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Possum:
27 Nov 2008 12:52:01pm
Fantastic! I could not think of anybody who deserves accolades better - a wonderful man, an excellent gardener and a wonderful role model.
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jh:
27 Nov 2008 12:55:43pm
FANTASTIC! Couldn't go to a more deserving candidate!
Yay Peter!Agree (0) Alert moderator
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mac:
27 Nov 2008 1:00:56pm
Well done - a ordinary bloke having an amazing impact on so many people. I lift my hat!!
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ampersand:
27 Nov 2008 1:28:16pm
Good!
I was thinking the other day that he should get a major Australian award for his enthusiastic efforts towards the environment and organic gardening. The next one should be 'Australian of the Year' for his input towards saving water; self-subsistent gardening; healthy eating and exercise; and overall jovialness. Bloomin' marvelous.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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A Proud Tasmanian:
27 Nov 2008 1:35:51pm
My aunt met Peter Cundall in person once and when I asked her what he was like in person she said - he's exactly as nice and enthusiastic as he is on tv, he's helpful and really funny. So hats off to him (and gardening gloves on), I really hope he wins. Also it's great for everyone to see a man of his age still active, enjoying things and that people in his age bracket should not be forgotten or ignored, nor should we fear age because we have so much more to contribute. Anyway that was a bit off topic but good on ya Peter! Myself and my veggie garden salutes you!
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SpikeyHair:
27 Nov 2008 1:37:36pm
Pete,
if you're reading this by any chance, thank you and well done. I truly hope that you become Australian of the Year. You certainly do deserve this accolade. Your years of hard work and dedication and even lightheartedness have cheered millions of people.
Thank you too for your Gunns stand. We need trees far more than we need paper - you can't breath paper - and we're supposed to have paperless offices in any case since the mid 80's. Well that hasn't happened!!
Your encouragement over the years has led me to have many wonderful plants in my gardens, and even go on to do a horticultural course, which I found absolutely absorbing.
I give you (both green) thumbs up!!Agree (0) Alert moderator
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seajae:
27 Nov 2008 1:49:42pm
yesssssssss
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LizB:
27 Nov 2008 1:50:57pm
Couldn't have gone to a better recipient. Well Done Pete - Congratulations! Here's hoping for Aussie of the Year!
And that's your blooming lot!Agree (0) Alert moderator
